Electrically heated rotatable cylinder drain means



Oct. 28, 1947. v D. B. VANDEWATER 2,429,704

ELECTRICALLY HEATED ROTATABLE CYLINDER DRAIN MEANS Filed June 7, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 1 WIT/V655:

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Oct. 28, 1947. D. B. VANDEWATER 2,429,704

' ELECTRI'CALLY HEATED ROTATABLE CYLINDER DRAIN MEANS Filed June 7, 19452 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 28, 1947 ELECTRICALLY HEATED ROTATABLECYLINDER DRAIN MEANS Donald B. Vamlcwater, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., as-

signor to The De Laval Separator Company, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New Jersey Application June 7, 1945, Serial No. 597,980

3 Claims.

My invention relates to heaters for heating water or other liquids byelectrical energy.

The object of my invention is to provide an electrically heated liquidcontainer which, while being easy to fill and pour from and economicalof power, will normall have enough residual liquid adjacent the heatingelement to insure that the container will not be damaged by overheatingbut which may be completely drained when necessary.

My improved heater, in its preferred embodiment, includes certainfeatures which are not my invention but with which I have combinedfeatures designed by me in order that the objects of my invention may beeffected, or effected with maximum efiiciency. Thus, my inventionembodies a cylindrical metal container having an opening, functioningboth as inlet and outlet, through the cylindrical wall at one side andat the other side an electric heating element (which may be inside oroutside the container); the container being so supported that it may beeasily turned around the contents with little or no change of liquidlevel; the container, by reason of the location of the heating elementopposite the inlet-outlet (supplemented, if desired, by supporting thecontainer ofi center) tending to automatically return to its normalposition. These features form the subject matter of an application filedof even date herewith by Donald F. Ayres, Serial No. 597,979.

In my improvement, the outlet (which, as above stated, is also the inletand which should be large enough to provide for quick and easy fillingand emptying of the container) is surrounded by a tube that extends asubstantial distance outside the cylindrical wall and by providing itwith a slight flare I eliminate dripping and running of liquid down theoutside. By extending the tube a substantial distance inside thecontainer I prevent quick complete emptying, even if turned with theoutlet at the extreme bottom. However, by putting a small hole throughthe tube, tangent with the inside of the container, I provide forcomplete, though slow, draining of all liquid when that is desired.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of myinvention- Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal section of a heater mountedon trunnions and the supports therefor.

Fig. 2 is a section at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a heater arranged to roll on horizontal ways.

l is a cylindrical container for liquid to be heated, surrounded by heatinsulation in the spaces 2 enclosed by an outer casing 3. The containeris held in the center of the casing by spacers 4-4.

An inlet and outlet tube 5 extends through the insulation-containingspace 2 and to a substantial distance inside the container I and has asmall hole 6 through it tangent with the inside of container I. Theouter end of the tube is surrounded by a flange or bead I.

An electric heater 8 and a thermostatic switch 9 are secured in heattransfer relation with the container l and a cord 10 is provided forconnection to a source of electric energy.

An easily removable cover H on the outer end of the tube 5 preventsescape of vapors from the heater. Handles l2 provide means for tippingthe heater into position to pour out liquid.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the heater is supported by trunnions l3--I3carried by a frame 14. As shown in Fig. 3, the heater is supported, on asimilar frame I 4, by ways 15 on which it may be rolled.

In operation the desired quantity of liquid is poured into the heater,the cover H applied and the current turned on. When the liquid is heatedto the temperature for which the thermostat 9 is set the current isturned oil.

When hot liquid is wanted, the operator places a receptacle at one sideof the heater, removes the cover I I and by means of one of the handlesl2 turns the heater till the desired quantity flows out. When hereleases the handle the heater will return to its normal position withthe outlet at the top. Even if the heater is turned with the outlet atthe exreme bottom for a short time a quantity of liquid equal to asegment of a cylinder with it inner surface at the inner end of the tube5 will be retained. If it is desired to completely empty the container,it is held with the outlet at the bottom long enough to permit all ofthe liquid to flow out through the small hole 6.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a heater for liquids, the combination with a heat-insulatedcylindrical container, an electric heating element in heat-transferrelation at the cylindrical surface of the cylinder, and a combinedliquid inlet and outlet in said cylindrical surface and opposite theheating element, of a tube surrounding the inlet-outlet and extendingsubstantially perpendicular to the cylinder axis for a substantialdistance inside the cylinder to 3 thereby, in the emptying operation,retain enough residual liquid adjacent the heating element to insureagainst damage of the container by overheating.

2. A heater as defined in claim 1 in which the tube is provided insidethe cylinder with a hole of relatively small diameter that is tangentwith the inside wall of the container to thereby permit slow drainage ofresidual liquid when complete emptying is desired.

3. A heater as defined in claim 1, in which the tube is provided insidethe cylinder with a hole adjacent the cylindrical surface of thecylinder and in a side of the tube facing one end of the cylinder, thehole being tangent with the inside REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,227,662 McHarg Jan. 7, 19412,172,917 Voigt Sept. 12, 1939 2,057,353 Whittemore, Jr Oct. 13, 1936

